Veteran of the Psychic Wars
by destinykeyblade
Summary: Has anyone ever wondered what Link has had to go through in his life? Has anyone ever cared? Set in OoT. Oneshot... for the moment. Depending on what you loverly readers think, I may be adding on.


Hey there, peoples! destinykeyblade here, hoping that you'll enjoy this, my latest fic. Now, don't ask me how I came up with this... 'cause I couldn't answer you if you did. I think I was in a bad mood...? I must have been, because if you've read anything else that I've written, you know that I'm pretty much a comedy person. And yet I wrote this, what I consider a very dark and slightly bloody take on Link from the Ocarina of Time. As I asked in the summary, has anyone ever thought about what the Hero of Time has gone through mentally? Has anyone ever cared? Many or most of us see Link as a hero - nothing more, nothing less. A brave, courageous, kind person who will jump in and help anyone who needs him. But what if we're wrong? What if Link is like us - an individual with thoughts and emotions? Just a little something for all of us to think about... Oh, and by the way, this is sort of a song fic to _Veteran of the Psychic Wars_ by _Blue Oyster Cult_. (I "borrowed" my dad's Heavy Metal soundtrack. Hehe...) And to anyone who reads my chapter fic The Tormentors In Person, I am working on the next chapter, and I know I didn't get that two-week update thing. But I was working on this, so at least I gave you something to read, right?

* * *

The trees swayed and creaked, trying to keep themselves from being pushed over by the brutally strong winds. Lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and rain threatened to fall. A lone figure was in the midst of this, trudging unconcernedly across a vast field. He walked against the continuous gusts, no destination in mind. Many would call him crazy for not taking shelter when a storm was so close, but he'd suffered worse. Much, much worse. Really, he continued to suffer.

_You see me now a veteran of a thousand psychic wars  
__I've been livin' on the edge so long  
__Where the winds of limbo roar  
__And I'm young enough to look at  
__And far too old to see  
__All the scars are on the inside...  
__I'm not sure that there's anything left to me_

Thoughts swirled around in his mind, refusing to settle and leave him be. Some of these thoughts were conjured up by who he used to be, a small boy who just wanted peace, for all the bad things that bothered him to simply vanish. Others, meanwhile, came from who he had become: a young man with a troubled mind. Unlike the child, the man wanted to dissapear rather than the evils that plagued his land. Hyrule could either find another hero, or surrender itself to Ganon's control. Either way, it didn't matter to him.

Link was sick and tired of being the Hero of Time. Every day, he had to look at the Master Sword. Every time he took a step, his Hylian shield and the aforementioned weapon clanked together, both of them strapped to his back, following him wherever he went. The Master Sword was a constant reminder of everything he had seen, everything he had done. How often he wished he could cast it aside, or throw it into the fires of Death Mountain! How he wished he could be free of this wretched, blood-stained thing! But it was not to be. He had tried to break it; he'd brought the blade down on the largest and densest boulder he could find... And the sword had remained intact.

A whinny pulled Link out of his memories. Ahead of him was Lon Lon Ranch, one of the few places in Hyrule that didn't have bloody history. He stared at the gateway for a moment, then thought "_Might as well_" and stepped through it.

Out in the middle of the pasture, Epona pranced around excitedly. The familiar scent of her master had just reached her nostrils, and despite the potentially dangerous weather, the mare couldn't wait to gallop through Hyrule Field. She nickered in what appeared to be an affectionate tone when Link jumped over the fence and walked in her direction. Absentmindedly, he stroked the horse's neck, wondering whether he should drag her into this or not. When Epona neighed again, the blonde made up his mind and swung himself up onto her back. In no time, Epona had leaped the paddock fence and thundered down the hill that lead to the field.

* * *

The horse's white mane blew about wildly in the wind. Her hooves hit the ground rythmically as she galloped across the grassy expanse, the sound lulling Link into an almost trance-like state. _Clop, clop, clop, clop..._

A sudden sound of air wooshing came from behind them. Before the wandering Poe ghost had time to make itself intangible once more, Link had shot an arrow straight into the place where its heart would be were it alive. The spirit dissapeared, the lantern it held falling to the ground and shattering. Heaving a sigh, Link put the Fairy Bow away and took hold of Epona's reins, steering her toward the fences she had jumped so many times before. The serene, crystal clear waters of Lake Hylia lay just beyond them... But wait. There were people at the lake. The fisherman, the loony old scientist, even the talking scarecrow... They were all guaranteed to make an attempt to speak to him, and Link was in no mood to talk to anyone. He had Epona change her course at the last second, something the horse whinnied at him reproachfully for.

_Where are there no people?_ Link wondered, trying to think of a place he could escape to. _Maybe if I went to-_

Epona was moving slowly now, yet the sound of a running horse met Link's ears. Great, just great. Someone was coming after him. The blonde glanced over his shoulder to see who it was... and turned back to the front immediately, digging his heels into Epona's flanks and cursing under his breath. The last person he wanted to see was the woman who had ruined his life by sending him on this ridiculous quest to save Hyrule.

"Link!" Zelda called. Another glance at the princess told Link that she was confused by his actions. What, did she think he would be happy to see her? She was crazier than he'd thought - and that was saying something. "Link!" she shouted again. Her white stallion was catching up to Epona. The hero ugred his horse to go faster, but she was tired from all the running she'd already done, and Zelda caught them.

A smile spread across her face as she dismounted and looked at Link. Reaching up, she grabbed onto his arm and pulled as hard as she could, succeeding in yanking him off his horse. "Oh, Link, I'm so glad you haven't been hurt!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him. The Hylian man somehow resisted the urge to slice her to ribbons with the Master Sword.

Zelda took a step backwards and gazed up at him with sparkling eyes. "I always knew you could do it," she whispered. "You've collected the six medallions, right? You're ready to face Ganondorf, aren't you?" She waited a moment... and another... and another... "Why aren't you answering me?" the princess demanded, annoyed by Link's silence.

_You ask me why I'm weary  
__Why I can't speak to you  
__You blame me for my silence  
__Say it's time I changed and grew  
__But the war's still going on, dear,  
__And there's nowhere that I know  
__And I can't say if we're ever...  
__I can't say if we're ever gonna be free_

Still, Zelda recieved no reply. Without a word, Link stepped away from the girl. Turning his back on her, he took off running across the field, ignoring her cries of "Wait!"

_If she wants me to fight Ganon, fine. Death will likely be swift and sweet... But I hope I'm still alive to see her face when she realizes her precious hero just couldn't do his job._

* * *

Sweat poured down Link's face as he grappled with the King of Evil. The blonde snarled in frustration as the beast Ganon had become once again managed to protect his tail and land a blow. Zelda's shrieks echoed across the battlefield of scattered debris from the collapsing of the tower, making it even harder for Link to concentrate on what he was attempting to do.

He grabbed the Fairy Bow and reached for an arrow, finding that he had none left; they'd all been used. Fantastic. Now what? He tossed the weapon to the ground and shielded himself from Ganon's swords, looking at the deep scratches in his Hylian shield with mild interest as he searched for something he could use in place of a Light Arrow.

_Hmm... Well, I could try setting him on fire,_ he mused, thinking of the crystal he had recieved from Din. _But that would just make matters worse, as I'd end up making that wall of flames behind me even stronger. So that's not an option; I'd rather not be burned alive._ He looked wistfully at the blades in Ganon's paws. _If I would just stop blocking, I could be done with this and never have to worry about it again._ Then he remembered the fairy he'd caught four days prior and growled. Even if Ganon killed him, that stupid, fluttering creature would bring him back.

_So much for that,_ Link thought bitterly. He jumped backwards to avoid being sliced in half and grabbed his Hookshot, firing it straight into Ganon's face. The monster blinked multiple times and shook its head, leaving its tail open for an attack. With the Megaton Hammer in his left hand, Link fired the Hookshot again, slamming the brute's small (in comparison with the rest of him) tail into the ground with his heavy tool.

Ganon made to attack, but the princess, performing what was perhaps the only useful task she'd ever done in her life, held him in place with her powers, screaming at Link to finish him with the Master Sword. Glaring at the fiend, Link thrust his sword into Ganon's heart. Green blood splattered everywhere, covering the Hero of Time. He shivered in revulsion as the beast let out his last breath and ceased to move.

Zelda gave a cheer and hugged Link, ignoring the gore that coated him. "You did it, Link!" she said happily. "You did it! You've won the battle for Hyrule!"

Repulsed by her joy over what he'd just done, Link pushed her away from him, glowering at her. Speaking for the first time upon waking in the Chamber of Sages, he uttered the following words. "Have I, Zelda?" he asked in a low voice. "Or have I simply postponed it for another day?"

_You see me now a veteran of a thousand psychic wars  
__My energy is spent at last  
__And my armor is destroyed  
__I've used up all my weapons  
__And I'm helpless and bereaved  
__Wounds are all I'm made of...  
__Dare you say that this is victory?_

Tossing the Master Sword to the ground at Zelda's feet, Link turned his back on her once more and walked away slowly, giving the princess one final piece of advice before departing. "When he breaks that seal and gets out of the Sacred Realm, you'd better find yourself another hero. I quit."

* * *

...And there you have it! How was it? Good? Bad? Awesome? Stupid? Although I thank you very much for simply reading, reviews are very much appreciated. Again to those who read TTIP, my fellow tormentor read this and begged me to continue. Her exact words were, "THAT WAS SO COOL!! MORE! You must write more!" Does anybody agree? ...And if you do, do you have any ideas as to what I should write? I asked her, but she never answered, so... yeah. Anywho, destinykeyblade signing off with the promise of chapter 15 coming right up! ...Sort of. Bye!!! ^^


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